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[novapsyche]

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Herbal stimulant khat to be banned in UK | more -- This is very surprising to me, as khat (or qat) is a traditional stimulant among certain ethnic groups

Comments

[guppiecat]

I am not surprised to see khat being banned in the UK. Ever since they embraced austerity, job creation has been low. When this happens in a culture, it is hard for the dominant group to see the lower groups "taking" their jobs. (Ignoring the fact that the dominant group doesn't want to to work for the lower groups' wages.)

To re-establish the social hierarchy in the way the dominant groups wishes, the levels have to shift from economics to something more controllable. In this case, it's easy to just take away a piece of their culture, especially since khat has been demonized in the mainstream British press for years. This way, there is an increase in othering, so the dominant group can feel better about their group identity. i.e. "Our lives may not be great right, but at least we're better than X."

[novapsyche]

I completely understand the impulse to find a societal scapegoat. Still, considering that khat is entirely traditional, I would have thought that Britain would have looked at all facts on the table. Yes, the country is nearer the epicenter of the item's trade, but as something so integral to the lives of segments of its society, I would have hoped that officials would have made allowances. It's just disappointing